Hessian Prisoners in Pennsylvania
Hessian Prisoners in Pennsylvania
presented by Michael Jesberger
Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 7 P.M.
THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD ONLINE
We do request a donation to help support the Paoli Battlefield Historical Park in order to participate in this lecture.
The program focuses on how the Continental Army dealt with enemy prisoners captured in battle and uses eyewitness accounts to highlight some of the experiences of German as well as British prisoners of war during the American Revolution in the Pennsylvania region.
Between 1776 and 1783, Britain employed at least 30,000 German soldiers in its quest to put down the American rebellion. The rulers of six German territories within the Holy Roman Empire hired out these troops in exchange for subsidy payments. By 1781, more than one third of the British army’s strength in North America consisted of soldiers that soon became known as the “Hessians,” regardless of place of origin.
These troops, which were accompanied by hundreds of civilians, including women and children, produced a wealth of private and public records that offer unique perspectives on American society during the revolutionary period. Based on these German-authored accounts, the lecture will also highlight some of the experiences of the German auxiliaries in the War for American Independence.
ABOUT MIKE JESBERGER
Mr. Jesberger is an independent military historian who specializes in the American Revolution and Civil War time periods. He is renowned for his depth and breadth of knowledge, as well as his engaging and passionate presentation style, whether providing formal lectures, living history presentations or tours of historic sites in the Tri-state area.
A member of numerous history based organizations and active in the reenactment community, he participates in numerous battle reenactments, living history programs and ceremonies to honor our first and current veterans. A lifelong resident of the Philadelphia region, Mr. Jesberger is a native of Northeast Philadelphia and has relocated to Bucks and Montgomery County, PA and currently resides in Lansdale, PA with his wife, Amy, Son, Erik and two daughters, Erin and Emma.